48 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



and if not, wet tlioin by sprinkliiii;', or witli ;i l>insli. Tliero is one pest 

 that tobacco won't kill, any nmro tlian it will iiicii. That is tli(> curculio. 

 I have soaked them in a strong solution of tobacco, and the eifect was to 

 increase their propensity to propag'ate their species. For many things, 

 the tobacc(» decoction is valuable — much more so than simfF. 



Mv. Wni. U. Prince — W<} have used it many years in our nursery. We buy 

 stems, soak them in a cask, and use the- liquiil with a comnmn water- 

 ing-pot. 



The chairman exhibited a shoot of the Peonia that had been set out six 

 years since, but has never produced a flower; there is a large number nf 

 these shoots. 



Mr. Wm. R. Prince — I would advise that next fall you dig up the plant and 

 divide it; every part that has an eye will produce flowers next season. Most 

 people think that the Peonia should be planted in the waiinest place in your 

 garden, this is an error, nearly all the Peonias are natives of Siberia and 

 northern China, and will stand a great degree of cold, so tliey may be 

 placed in the coldest part of the garden. 



The Currant-Bush Destroyer. 



Mr. Fisk, LaGrange, Wyoming county, N. Y., says : 



" Our currant and gooseberry bushes in this vicinity, have been for the 

 past few years, and are still being destroyed by small green worms, which 

 come in such multitudes as to make the protection of the bushes quite 

 impossible. We have tried unleached ashes, lime, and soapsuds ; but if 

 wc clear the bushes of worms to-day, there will be about as many on again 

 to-morrow, and so we are giving up in despair. Some of my neighbors 

 have taken up their bushes and burned them. The worm comes from 

 the egf^ deposited bj' a fly on the underside of the leaf. I send you here- 

 with a specimen of the insect ctuight while de|)ositing its eggs. I have 

 counted over 40 eggs on a single leaf. Can your Club tell us anything 

 about this fly, or how to keep the worm it biceds from destroying our 

 bushes ?" 



Mr. Solon Robinson — I regret to be obliged to say that no remedy has 

 been discovered for this pest to the farmer, which is well described in the 

 above letter, and which is very prevalent in Central New Y(jrk, and bids fair 

 to spread over the country and totally destroy the currant bushes. It is 

 barely possible that the worms might be got rid of in a small wa}' by 

 smoking them with sulphur. A lady says: "The Club often speaks of 

 slugs uj)on rose bushes, mine have been savi'il by smtjking with sulphur, 

 the 1st of May with you an*! the middle of May in the north part of the 

 State. Thf;n about two weciks later smoke again, for there are two crops 

 at least in a season ; but bushes so treated never look seared, turning 

 brown. Why will not. this treatment do lor the slugs upon the currant 

 and gooseberry bushes 'i"' 



Dr. Trimbh — I think if the bushes were washed with a strong decoc- 

 tion of tobacco two (»r three times during the season it would clear them 

 of these worms. 



Mr. Manilas Smith, Manlius, N. V., says : 



" I have, made a Ccw observations on currant worms that give a hint as 



